The United States and Great Britain established in 1818 joint claim over the Oregon Territory - the region north of Spanish controlled Upper California up to the southern boundary of Russia's Alaska Territory at North latitude 54°40'. By the late 1830's this arrangement was beginning to fall apart. In the 1840's the expansionist Democrats, including their 1844 presidential candidate, James Polk, claimed the entire region for the United States. Their expansionist desires were expressed by Polk's famous campaign slogan, "Fifty-four Forty or Fight!" The slogan also became a rally cry for Americans desiring to settle the territory. Following Polk's election, the dispute was resolved by the 1846 Treaty of Oregon, which struck a compromise that fixed the U.S./Canadian boundary at 49º North.

This large, handsome map of North America provides considerably more detail than most continental maps, including state and territory boundaries, towns, roads, forts, Indian tribes, railroads, and sea lanes. It was issued shortly after the annexation of Texas and prior to the Mexican/America War. Texas appears in a squashed configuration with Mexico in control of an expanded region of eastern New Mexico. The map is based largely on Brue's map of 1834 with some of the best western cartography of the period. In the Pacific Northwest the U.S. claims are shown reaching well into present-day British Columbia. Extensive information is noted in the various Indian districts. This is one of the most interesting large-scale maps of the pre-Fremont, post Lewis & Clark era. A large inset map details Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. Dissected in 8 sections and backed on original linen.

References: Wheat (TMW), #415.

Condition: A

Original color with a great color key at bottom with some very minor staining in the image, else fine.